The Forgotten
by Herobreak
Summary: Two years after the defeat of the Iron Giant, a young man awakens in a mysterious facility in the company of strangers. As he struggles to recall his past, Waffle is contacted by the crew of the Asmodeus with the news that a new pair of hybrids has been detected. With the Kurvaz's help, Waffle and Red pursue the threat only to come face to face with the last vestiges of humanity...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Tail Concerto, Solatorobo, and all related characters belong to Cyber Connect 2.**

 **The Forgotten**

 **1**

The first thing he felt was cold, or at least it _seemed_ like what cold should feel like. It was like a sharp winter's wind had pierced his flesh and numbed him to the very core. He instinctively tried to open his eyes but found them too heavy to lift. He tested his arms, followed by his hands and fingers but found that no matter what extremity he tried, they too, were unwilling to yield to his minds commands. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare that he was unable to wake from.

Panic started to slowly creep in as he tried several more times to get his body to cooperate to no avail. With his mind racing, he tried to recall what happened and how he got here but found that no matter how hard he focused, no answer came. Amidst his increasing fear, a vague face of a woman suddenly flashed before his mind's eye. He couldn't quite place where he had seen her before, but deep down he knew, he knew her. Unable to do much else, he focused on the image of the woman and waited.

He had no way of telling how long he laid there but with each passing moment, he found his body felt less and less distant until he found the strength to open his eyes. It took a few seconds for his mind to register that the dark brown irises that stared back at him were his own and that he was gazing at his own reflection. Besides that, the best he could make out was that he was in a coffin-like machine, the inside of which glowed faintly with a sky-blue light that provided just enough illumination for him to see that he was strapped down from head to toe. He tried his limbs again, finding that even though he could now actually feel them, the thick constraints holding him in place made it impossible to move.

His eyes drifted to one of the thin glass openings on the contraptions surface to the area outside the confines of the pod. All he could see was a vast darkness dotted with countless tiny green-blue lights that looked like stars hanging in the endless void of space.

"Hello? Someone... anyone!?" He tried to shout but found the best he could manage was a hoarse whisper. His mouth was dry and his throat burned.

"Awaking of artifact 78 successful." A monotone female voice said from somewhere overhead as if to answer.

"What?" He choked out before the pod suddenly hummed to life and lunged forward with breakneck speed.

Dozens of tiny lights streaked by as the pod stayed it course for a few seconds before it came to an abrupt stop. A thin strip of piercing white light emerged just outside of the pod, cutting the pitch blackness in two. Once the gap was big enough for the pod to go through, it slowly fit itself into the opening. With a low hiss, the roof of the pod slid away revealing a large open dome-shaped room, moments before the straps holding him in place retracted.

With the freedom to move finally his, he struggled to force his heavy muscles to lift himself out of the pod but found the task difficult. Several more times he strained, his white shirt and pants clung to his body with sweat before he finally tore himself onto the cold metal surface below. As soon as his bare feet touched the ground he crumbled to his knees, gasping in exhaustion. With straight black hair matted and sweat dripping from his clean shaved chin, his vision darkened as a cold numbness washed over him. He fought to stay alert the best he could but found it impossible to deny his bodies cry for rest. His vision slowly started to blur as the silent dark void of unconscious overtook him. Just before his eyes closed, he faintly made out a voice as heavy footfalls rapidly approached:

"Hey Felix, get in here! We've got another one!"

* * *

What followed were dreams filled with vague foggy images. People and places rushed by, most of which he couldn't recognize. It was like he was watching moments from a strangers life unfold before him. Among the many blurry faces, he found himself attached to two in particular; one was the same woman he had seen earlier and the other was a little girl. Just like before, he was drawn to the images of these people and knew deep down that somehow he was connected to them.

When he came to, he found himself lying on a bed inside of a small room with blue metal walls. Despite still being exhausted, he tried to lift an arm and was relieved to see that he could actually move. He was taken aback by a thin metal device strapped to one of his wrist that had a tube attached to it. With his eyes, he followed the tube and saw that it was connected to a machine he couldn't recognize on top of a console that ran into the ground. An impressive looking 3D image of some sort projected a readout of what he guessed were his vitals.

He inhaled deeply and grimaced at the unpleasant hospital-like smell of sterile chemicals. His eyes drifted upwards, a small bulb provided enough light for him to see that besides the bed he was laying in and the machine to his left, the room was bare. On the far wall, a metal door led to the only way out of the small room. To his right was a chair with a bald, aging man dressed in a plain white outfit looking directly at him. He smiled, deep creases forming beside his pricing blue eyes.

"Finally up I see." His voice was gruff and steady. The old man spoke with an accent he couldn't quite place. He glanced at the machine's display on the other side of the bed. "Good, your vitals look strong."

On impulse, he tried to rise.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The old man placed a hand on his chest to keep him from rising all the way up.

"Do what?" He asked, his voice still hoarse. As soon as his head left the pillow the room started to spin as a wave of vertigo hit him, forcing him to lay back down. He cupped a hand over his forehead as a splitting headache assaulted his senses.

"That." The old man chuckled. "Just stay put, and let the drugs wear off."

"Drugs?" He squinted in pain as the pounding in his head continued. "Am I in a hospital?"

"Of sorts..." The man leaned back in his chair, his old bones seemingly creaking as he did so. "I know you'll probably be eager to be up and about but, believe me; the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to just sit back and let your body adjust to being awake again."

"What do you mean? Have I been in a coma?"

The old man shrugged. "I guess you could put it that way."

The younger man's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to recall how he got here but just like before, nothing came to him. "How long was I out?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Most likely you've been in that thing for a long, long time."

"Wait! Me waking up in some kind of machine..." His eyes winded as realization started to kick in.

"That... that really happened!?"

He fought another wave of vertigo as he tried sitting up again. The older man quickly got up from his chair and held him down.

"What the hell happened!?" He demanded. "What did you do to me!?" He tried to break the old man's grip but found he was still much too weak.

"Calm down mate." The old man was firm yet soft as he gently took his hands away from the younger man's shoulders. "No one here has done anything. I swear you're among friends. Please, just try and relax. I went through the same thing."

"You... you did?" the younger man asked starting to calm down.

"Yes." The old man slowly nodded. "Everyone here came from one of those pods just like you. My wife and I were among the first."

His mind spun as he took a few moments to process the words. "Who are you?"

"The name's Felix. Ophelia and I help run this place." He extended a wrinkled hand down to him and smiled broadly. "And who might you be?"

"I'm..." A puzzled look overtook the young man's features as he found he had to actually think for a moment to remember his name. "Marcus..." He trailed off.

"Pleasure to meet you." Felix chuckled noticing Marcus puzzled look. "Took a while to recall your name didn't it?"

"Yeah... that's not normal is it?"

" Don't worry, the sleep affects everyone that way. The memory loss isn't permanent. As time passes, things will start to come back to you."

"Oh," Marcus was unsure of how to respond. "You said I wasn't the first? Other people have gone through this?"

"In very much the same way you're going through it now. Although, it's a bit easier nowadays since we've established a routine of sorts. You should've seen the first of us, the first couple of weeks were a real train wreck."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Hmm... That's a good question." Felix massaged his thick salt and peppered beard. "I think around two years or thereabouts, it's hard to tell in a place like this."

"And what kind of place would that be?"

"That's kind of difficult to explain, and something I'll have to answer some other time. For now, you best rest and focus on getting your strength back. We could use another young spunk like yourself to help out with stuff around here."

"What are you talking about I'm fine." Marcus scoffed. To prove his point he sat up. He was only up for a moment before the pain in his head forced his eyes shut. _Damn it!_ he cursed under his breath.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You can tell yourself that all you want. But it won't change the fact that your body is very much still in need of rest."

"So, what if I feel like shit. You really expect me to just take it easy when I wake up in a weird place like this?"

"Son, believe me. _This_ right here;" He gestured with an open hand around the room. "is just the tip of a very large, very surreal iceberg. I swear to you that when you're stronger, the answers will come."

Marcus was about to protest but found it ultimately pointless given how spent he was. Seeing that he had pretty much no other options, he figured the best course of action was to trust the old man.

"I suppose I can't argue with that." He placed his head back on his pillow. "I'll hold you to that though."

"Excellent!" With a grunt of effort, Felix slowly rose from his seat. "I'll be back in every now and then to check in on you. Rest well my young friend."

With that said, Felix walked out of the small room through the glass doors Marcus had noticed earlier. He was sure it would be impossible to rest given his situation but found that his eyes were quickly becoming heavy. It wasn't much longer before he found himself drifting off into yet another dream-filled sleep.

* * *

Marcus found himself in a timeless loop of brief bouts of consciousness and surreal dreams. Every time he drifted off, new pictures; memories he now understood them to be, presented themselves. In almost all of them, he saw the same woman and little girl.

His current predicament worried him but Felix assured him during the small periods he was conscious that it was all part of the process and that it was best to let the drugs run their course. In time, Marcus found himself once again staring up at the same dark blue ceiling, but this time he felt different, like the weight that had been bearing down on him was decisively lighter.

He cautiously rose from bed, expecting nausea to wash over him, but found the feeling never came. Being mindful of the small machine attached to his wrist he stretched, hearing his well-toned muscles pop, and savored the relief the range of motion provided. Curious, he glanced down at a palm and tried his fingers, smiling to himself as they flexed on command.

A low hiss caused Marcus to look up just in time to see that Felix step inside the small room. "Feeling better?" He asked.

"Well I can sit up without the room spinning, so... I guess that's a start."

"Good! How about we get you out of this tiny box and into more suitable accommodations?"

"I would like that," Marcus smiled. "Hospitals and I don't get along very well."

"I don't think anyone likes the idea of being stuck in a tiny room like this one for very long. Before we go I'll warn you that a lot of things you'll experience we don't fully understand. I fancy myself to be a pretty good judge of character and it seems to me that you have a good head on your shoulders so I think you can handle what I'm about to show you. Fair enough?"

"Uh... yeah. Lay it on me I guess."

"Very well." Felix stepped aside letting a young woman into the room.

An astonished look crossed Marcus's face as he took in her peculiar features. Her complexion was extremely fair, to the point that her skin appeared almost snow white, while long strands of silver-white hair flowed down past the small of her back. By far her most striking trait was her vibrant pink eyes which met his with a soft friendliness. Much like Felix and himself, she wore a simple plain white shirt over pants of the same color.

"This young lady is a newcomer just like yourself." He turned to her. "This is Marcus; the 'new guy'. Would you be so kind and introduce yourself... in the way, you're most accustomed to?"

She thought for a moment before she nodded and turned towards Marcus.

"My name is Yoko." She smiled and bowed deeply. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Marcus did a double take. He understood what she said that was for sure, but he wasn't sure _how_ he understood her.

"I'm sorry but can you say that again?" Marcus asked with a blank stare.

"Now I know what I looked like when I first spoke to you." Yoko giggled glancing at Felix.

"That's not English... right?" Marcus asked.

"No, it wasn't. It's Japanese." She responded. The same odd feeling was there. Even though to his recollection he shouldn't have, he understood her plain as day. He was like his subconscious was translating her words as she spoke them when he knew it shouldn't, making the fact that he could understand her to feel both somehow natural and alien at the same time.

"You know what I said about that iceberg being surreal?" Felix offered. "Well, Yoko here is giving you the first taste of that."

"But...but I don't speak Japanese!" Marcus sat dumbfounded. "At least not that I can remember."

"I'm an Aussie so neither did I. Yet, I can understand what she said as if I had spoken it since I was a boy. As a matter of fact, everyone here has found themselves with an impressive knowledge of all kinds of languages they all claim they never spoke and in some cases even heard of. The same applies to you."

Marcus laughed in spite of himself. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me I can not only understand, but also freely speak languages that I don't _ever_ remember knowing in the first place?

"Correct." Felix nodded. "The trick is not to think about it too much."

"As if," Marcus said flatly but gave it a half halfhearted try just to humor the old man. "That sounds a bit far-fetched for that to just happen, don't you think?"

Felix smirked. "Actually, it just did. You said that last bit in Japanese."

"What are you talking about..." Marcus stopped when he realized that he had in fact, just spoken in fluid Japanese without even thinking about it. "Holy shit." He muttered. "I just did, didn't I?"

"I grew up only speaking Japanese," Yoko offered with a wide smile, switching to pitch-perfect English. "I was just as baffled as you are now when I first spoke with Felix."

Marcus sat in thought for a moment. "If everyone has been affected this way, does it have something to do with waking up in that pod thing?"

"It appears that way," Felix affirmed. "While there seems to be a strong correlation between the pods and our new found linguistic knowledge, we aren't exactly sure how they are linked or why we were given such skills."

"I don't know if I speak only for myself, but I find that kind of, I don't know..."

"Weird?" Yoko offered.

"I was going to say creepy, but yeah, that too. I can't explain it, but it almost feels like someone put the knowledge in my head. Like, I can somehow remember not being able to speak it but now somehow I can."

"Well try not to dwell on it too much, it'll just end up making your brain hurt," Felix said. "In any case, now that we've got that bit of curiousness out of the way, it's time we got you out of here."

Felix stepped over to the machine by Marcus bed and pushed a couple of buttons on the machine's virtual display before the strange looking device attached to Marcus's arm unclasped itself and retracted into a slot at the base of the console. With his hand now free, Marcus flexed his arm, surprised that he felt no pain from where the machine had been attached.

"What's up with that thing?" He asked.

"Think of it as a combination of a heart monitor and I.V. Why do you ask?"

"Well, that fancy looking 3D image thing it's got going on makes it look like it came from out of _Twilight Zone_ or something."

"Its functions aren't anything out of the ordinary for crystal technology." Felix took a quick, worried glance at Yoko.

"Do you know what crystals are?" Yoko asked.

"Uh..." Marcus shrugged. "Fancy looking rocks that come out of the ground?"

"What about the Juno system or the Futuz Tower?" Felix asked. "Do those mean anything to you?"

"No, no they do not. Should they?"

"Considering how much they changed the world, yes they should." Felix looked strangely concerned. "I can't say for certain but it sounds like you've been asleep for longer than we originally thought."

"Uh... is that bad?"

"Not necessarily, but that could complicate things. I'll do my best to explain on our way to getting you to your private room."

"I get my own room?"

"Yes, the faculty here is set up in such a way that everyone comes paired with a room that only they can open."

"Fair enough... if a little cryptic." Marcus tore the blankets away from his legs and tenderly placed his bare feet on the cold metal floor.

"Easy now," Felix grabbed one of Marcus's arms as Yoko came around to grab the other. For a moment Marcus expected his legs to give out from under him as soon as he put his full weight on them but found his muscles to be surprisingly strong despite not being used in a long time.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Marcus smiled as they stepped aside. He took a couple of paces beside the bed to make sure his legs were in proper working order. Satisfied, he turned towards his new companions. "Everything seems good, what's next?"

"Follow us." Felix motioned towards the door before he disconnected a flat screened device from the console in the room. "If it's really true that you're not familiar with crystal technology, you should know that some of the things you'll see here might come as to somewhat of a surprise to you."

With a wordless nod, Marcus fell in line behind them as they made their way through a series of maze-like corridors. Patterns of flowing sky blue light zigzagged throughout the walls and floor of the facility like the living veins of an organism.

"You weren't kidding, this place is a trip," Marcus placed a hand on a cold metal wall, his eyes scanning the lights and strange looking machines that dotted the hallways in awe. "It's like I've stepped straight into some kind of science fiction movie."

"To someone who's never heard of the Juno system before, I suppose all of this would seem like science fiction." Felix chuckled. "The lights you'll see flowing throughout the facility are Crystals, a clean and easily renewable power source. They power pretty much everything and are the basis for much of the technology here."

"I see..." Marcus said, his eyes awestruck. "So this whole place is part of this 'Juno' system I take it?"

"No, although it's safe to assume that it was built using the same technology. Think of the Juno system as a group of A.I.'s with varying degrees of complexity. They are collectively apart of a system that holds a massive database of information."

"Built by who?"

"That's the thing, no one knows. Shortly after the first of the technology was found deep underground in the Australian outback, scientists from all over the world came together and studied the system. Within a few years, four more sights were dug up allowing them to reverse-engineer a lot of technology once thought impossible."

"Okay, so if this 'Juno system' had such an impact on the world, then why didn't I hear about it? You'd think that the media would have had a field day with such a monumental discovery."

"Believe me, they did. You couldn't go anywhere or talk to anyone without hearing about it. It's all anyone ever talked about for the first few months after it was first discovered."

"What about you?" Marcus asked, turning to Yoko. "This whole Juno thing come to a surprise to you?"

"Not really." Yoko shook her head. "By the time I was born Crystal technology was pretty commonplace in most parts of the world.

"Tell me, to your recollection; what year is it?" After seeing the best answer Marcus could come up with was a shrug Felix continued. "Okay, let me put it this way; what's the last big thing you remember happening in the world before you found yourself here."

"Um, "Let's see..." Marcus strained in thought. "I remember hearing something about a thing called Watergate... I think?"

"Interesting." Felix cupped a hand over his chin. "That's a specific event that happened in a country known as the United States. Considering your accent, and your recalling of such an event, it's probable you might hail from there. The name ring any bells?"

"Maybe?" Marcus shrugged. "I'm not too sure, to be honest."

"In any case, Watergate was a rather big United States cover-up that happened in early 1973. The Juno system wasn't made public until the following year so that makes sense why you wouldn't be familiar any of this. But, that brings to light a somewhat troublesome issue."

"Meaning?"

"Well, the last year I remember it being is 2004, and I'm 62..." Felix let the last bit sink in.

"But, that would mean." Marcus's eyes went wide after doing the math in his head.

"That's not possible! I couldn't have been put under for that long. If that were true, I would look like well... you. No offense."

Felix demised him with a wave. "While such a feat would be impossible with the level of technology you're familiar with, the emergence of the Juno system gave the majority of the world an unprecedented technological boost in a very small span of time. Achieving such a state of suspended animation would be well within the Juno's abilities."

The streaking lights cast a dark shadow over Marcus's features as a cold realization struck. "If that's the case, doesn't that mean everyone who I once knew, my friends and family, would have all passed away by now?"

"It could." Felix looked somber as he picked his next words carefully. "However, my wife and I were not only put under around the same time but were awoken within a few hours of each other. There's a distinct possibility that some of your friends and family were brought here and put under as well."

 _What are the odds that happening?_ Marcus couldn't help but think but kept it to himself. "I'm sorry but that doesn't sound all that reassuring."

Yoko placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's something we all had to come to terms with, and a chance we all pray for."

"You said brought here, as in abducted? By whom?" He asked.

"Unfortunately we don't have an answer to that either."

Marcus scoffed. "Are you guys seriously saying that not only do you have no idea how we all got here, but we're all basically at the mercy of some glorified supercomputer?"

"Unfortunately, yes. While my time here has allowed me to come to a basic understanding of how some of the systems works, I've yet to be able to manipulate any part of it. Until we're able to figure out a way to override the facilities security protocols our life here is determined by what the system allows."

"I see." Marcus looked at the ground. "If that's the case why can't we just leave?"

"I'm afraid our current resources and the environment outside makes that nigh impossible."

"It's not so bad." Yoko smiled hopefully. "We've got everything we need to survive here and everyone is really nice. You'll get used to it... after a while."

"I somehow doubt that." He said under his breath just loud enough for them to hear.

"Look, I know what I'm telling you no one wants to hear, but Yoko's right." Felix sighed. "It's a reality we all have to deal with. For now, we can't change the situation no matter how much we want to so all we can do is make the best of it."

"It's been a few weeks since I've been up, and I still have a hard time accepting that we're all stuck here. But everyone has done their best to help me adjust. Please... just give them a chance."

"I'll try." Marcus couldn't help but noticed they had been walking past hallway after identical hallway for a while now. Everyone single one of them were lined with numbered metal doors. "How much further?"

"We've actually just arrived," Felix glanced down at his flat screened device as they all stopped in front of one of one of the doors. The number 78 was engraved on its surface in bold black print.

"According to this, these are your quarters. If you'll put your hand on the panel next to the door you can go inside."

"I'm the only one who can open this?"

"Correct. Each room is linked to the specific D.N.A. of a person from a pod."

"Feels like grade school all over again." Marcus placed his palm on the hand scanner." Kind of weird but then again this whole damn place has got an eerie vibe to it."

The door slid to the side revealing the room to be not much larger than the one they just came from having only a tiny bed, and a sink. _A prison cell,_ he thought _._ On the far side of the room, a large screen took up nearly the whole wall, while underneath it was an odd metal box. Curious, Marcus walked over and opened it, a low hiss escaped the box's airtight lid as it slid open. He frowned with confusion upon seeing the box's contents.

"What's this stuff?" He turned to look at Felix and Yoko who stood in the doorway.

"Your things, from before you were put to sleep."

"Why in the hell would a computer feel the need keep our things?"

"The best we've guessed is that it's to assist in recovering lost memories. The contents of that box are meant to remind you of the life you lived before you found yourself here."

"Well isn't that considerate of it," Marcus said flatly.

"Yes." Felix agreed. "It is rather odd, but it has been effective in assisting others to remember who they once were. On that note, we'll leave you to your own devices. Feel free to contact us using the touch screen on the wall if you need anything."

"Look..." Marcus stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. "The two of you have been nothing but welcoming. I'm sorry if I've come off as a bit of an ass. It's just that... well you know, all this is new to me. I just wanted to say thanks."

"None is needed," Felix said. "Just take everything in stride and we'll help you the best we can."

"I'll look forward to seeing you later." Yoko waved and bowed deeply.

"Sounds good." Marcus returned her wave.

Felix turned to go but stopped just before he stepped out of the room. "Just a word of warning. Most people tend to have a rather strong reaction to the memories triggered by what the system has set aside for them."

"I'll keep that in mind," Marcus said, turning serious. Felix and Yoko stepped aside, letting the door slide closed behind them before Marcus turned his attention towards the inside of the container.

With a deep breath, Marcus got to his knees and started to rummage through the contents of the box. A puzzled (and somewhat disappointed) look crossed his features once he saw what was inside: a pair of dark blue jeans, a deep crimson red shirt, and a black leather jacket. Ever since he had awoken, tiny glimpses of his life gradually seeped into his subconscious, moving him ever so slightly closer to understanding who he was. Knowing he should consider himself "lucky' that his amnesia would, from the sound of it, likely be short-lived; the idea that he was still struggling to grasp his own identity troubled him.

He picked up each article of clothing and examined them with deep contemplation, hoping they would help jog his memory. He first glanced at the shirt; noting that nothing seemed out of the ordinary about it; he moved on to the jacket. He dug into each of its pockets before his hand felt a cool metal object. Digging it out, the letters "ICPO" inscribed on its surface, triggered something in the back of his mind: _I was a Cop_. He thought running his fingers across the silver-plated surface, trying to recall the full significance of the badge.

A memory of a deep black chasm that went down father than his eyes could see, flashed before his eyes before a split-second glimpse of a strange looking blue-harried woman appeared in his head. _Who the hell was that?_ Like pretty much all of the memories that came before it, anything concrete seemed just out of his grasp in the muddiness of it all.

The Jeans were next. As he picked them up, a small leather wallet fell out a back pocket. He picked it up and opened it, a small card with a headshot of himself was the first thing he saw staring back at him. Recalling that it was his driver license, he quickly scanned the I.D; recognizing Vesques as his last name and San Diego, California as his hometown, confirming that he likely hailed from the country Felix had mentioned earlier. More hazy pictures started to come together but nothing stuck. Frustrated, Marcus was about to give up when a picture tucked away in a clear plastic sleeve tugged at something deep inside of him.

 _It's them._ he thought wide-eyed. The picture depicted him, the woman and the little girl he had seen in his dreams posing happily for the camera. He cupped his palms over his head as the wallet dropped to the floor. The memory of his past and the sight of the photograph blended together to create a crystal clear picture as a rush of images invaded his mind:

Long coiling strands of vibrant orange-red hair hung down past the woman's shoulders, framing her fair freckled face. A smirk lit up her features while her deep green eyes seemed to gaze directly into his soul, filling him with a contentment he couldn't quite explain. Looking into the eyes of the child between the women and himself, he couldn't help but grin at the three-year-old had a cheesy, tooth-filled smile. A mess of auburn colored curls sprung forth from the little girls head at what seemed to be impossible angles as she held tightly to his hand.

He leaned against the wall, letting his arms dangle to his side and sat there staring blankly, trying to make sense of everything. Who exactly were they? Friends? Family? Either one seemed likely. Marcus's brow furrowed; as strong of a connection he felt to the women and the little girl in the picture, he still couldn't put names to their faces.

If they weren't put to sleep alongside him then it would mean he wasn't likely to see them again, and he may never know what they truly meant to him. _Don't think like that!_ He scolded himself. He had to have hope that wouldn't be the case. Hope, as Yoko put it was all any of them could really do. The picture and the badge were the only real leads had on who he truly was.

With his neck starting to ache, Marcus adjusted his position and felt his hand brush against something tiny and cold. At first, he thought it was the police badge from before, but soon realized it was far too small. He pinched the tiny metal object between his finger and thumb and brought it up to examine it. _One way or the other, I'll find out who I was and how I'm connected to those two._ With his resolve deepening Marcus gazed at the tiny wedding band in his grasp and wondered just how deep down Felix's iceberg really went.

 **AN: If you're big fans of CC2's Tail Concerto and Solatorobo** **(** **why wouldn't you be?)** **and are wondering where some of the more obscure details about the Juno system and human history came from then feel free to head on over to the Little Tale Bronx Discord server. There is a lot of lore that never made it out of Japan that has been translated to English thanks to the small but great community there.**


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

The first thing Waffle felt when he awoke to the sun's morning rays was a head resting on his chest. He looked down and smiled at Alicia who laid contently in her sleep purring, it was a great feeling he had gotten used to. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he yawned his tongue curling over his fangs. Today was his first day off in almost two weeks and he still ached from the long portals riding around in his police-robo. Normally up and dressed for work before the sun had risen over the horizon Waffle felt odd laying in bed after the morning was well underway, but today was different. Today he was determined to be just another guy spending a laid back day off with his girlfriend. The felineko who was currently using his chest as a pillow had also been putting in long hours thanks to a steady stream of requests at the Quest Broker. He gently racked his claws through her white bangs until she stirred.

"Hey there." He smiled softly, his green eyes meeting her gray ones. "Sleep well?"

"I did actually." Alicia stretched herself, her fine sharp claws unsheathing from her fingers as she spread them. "It's nice to wake up to such a friendly face."

Though they had been steadily seeing each other for almost a year now, it was the first morning after she had officially moved in with him. Thanks to his promotion to Constable, he was no longer stuck in a tiny apartment on the outskirts of town. While he still called Porto home his new place was much larger, allowing Alicia to move in with room to spare. Although Flare and Stare were somewhat reluctant to see their "sister" break away from the (now) infamous Black Cats gang, Waffle had seemed to finally proven his worth as a boyfriend for the new Hunter.

 _ **RING! RING! RING!**_

Waffle's ears twitched to the shrill sound of his telephone going off in the next room. _And... so much for that_ , he thought starting to get up. He didn't even get halfway out of bed before Alicia pushed him back down.

"Oh no, you don't!" She said sternly. "You're going to stay right here and relax."

"What if it's work?"

"I know it is, who else would call you at this hour?"

"Good point." He pinned his pointy ears to his head. "What if Panta is in some kind of trouble?"

"It's not your problem today. There are plenty of other officers who can help him and they'll do just fine without you. Besides, think about how long it's been since you took a _real_ vacation."

"What are you talking about?" Waffle scoffed. "I took one not too long ago."

"Yeah, if you call two years ago 'not long'."

"It's really been that long?" Waffle asked, genuinely surprised.

"Uh, huh. And how long did that one last before the chief convinced you to come in?"

"Two days." He muttered under his breath knowing where her line of reasoning was going.

"Sorry, what was that?" Alicia cupped a hand over a large ear, pretending not to hear him.

"Two days." Waffle said louder, playfully nudging her. "So what if I'm dedicated to my job. I like helping others. Is that a crime?"

"No, but maybe you like it just a little bit too much. Seriously, if there ever was an overworked cop it would most certainly be you. You've done so much for Prairie I think you deserve some actual R & R. "

"Alright, alright." He put his hands up in mock surrender. "I give. I'll just let it ring."

"Good, it's been a while since I've seen you out of uniform." She snuggled up to his side. "I'm so glad I convinced you to get rid of those hideous stripped pajamas!"

"Ah, come on. They were hand-me-downs from grandpa! They weren't all that bad!"

"Okay... If that's how you want to play it, my eye patch wasn't that bad either." Waffle was about to retort with something but decided it was best to keep his mouth shut on the subject.

"So... Got any idea's of what you want to do today?"

"Dunno." She shrugged. "It's your vacation, it's up to you."

"Hmm." Waffle turned over ideas in his head. "We could see how Grandpa Russ is doing?"

"Eww..." Alicia scrunched her nose up in mock disgust. "No offense but your Grandfather isn't exactly the most exciting person to be around. All he ever wants to talk about is whatever shiny crystal he's recently dug up or some scribbles he found on some ancient rock."

"Yeah, well that kind of comes with the territory of being an archaeologist so..."

"What about going for a walk on the pier?" She suggested. "We haven't done that since we first started going out."

"That works, we could probably go to the fair too. I think I saw that some big name pop singer is supposed to be performing today. Maybe we could them out."

"Oh!" Alicia's eyes lit up. "You mean Cocona? I haven't seen her live before..."

 **RING! RING! RING!**

"Again!? For crying out loud!" Alicia hissed, the tip of her thin tail twitched in up-most irradiation. "Doesn't your boss know what a 'vacation' means!?"

"Right... " Waffle sighed. "I should really get that. If headquarters is going to keep calling me It's probably pretty important." Rather than say something his girlfriend just sat up in bed and crossed her arms expectantly.

"To... uh." He backpedaled. "Tell them that I'm not going to come in?" He smiled hoping she would be satisfied with the answer.

"No, no, don't get up." She held her palms up in Waffle's direction before he could make a move. "I'll take care of it." She huffed, rolled her eyes and tumbled out of bed.

"What are you going to do? Tell him I'm not home?" Waffle joked as she stepped into the other room. The phone went quiet but he never heard her answer it, she had taken the receiver off the hook.

"There." She dusted her palms off and placed her hands on her hips in triumph. "Problem solved." She crawled back in bed with him and laid her head back on his chest. "The fair doesn't start for a while so let's just have a lazy morning."

"If you say so." Waffle reluctantly tucked his hands behind his head and laid in bed for a few minutes enjoying Alicia's company.

Despite being somewhat pushy, he couldn't blame her for wanting some down time with him. He was the type of guy who always found himself on the move, so it was rare to see him just lounging around his house. Despite being grateful for the downtime, Waffle couldn't help but fidget, it just felt so weird staying in bed for so long.

"Can't you hold still?" Alicia mumbled.

"Sorry, once I'm up, I'm up. It's just a part of being a cop."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Alicia said slightly annoyed pushing herself out of bed. "I'll guess I'll just make us some breakfast."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't make you breakfast on our first day living together?" Alicia called out rounding the corner to the kitchen.

"Not a very good one that's for sure."

Alicia poked her head around the corner and stuck her rough sandpaper-textured tongue at him. "Coffee?"

"That would be great, thank you." Waffle rose from bed himself and stretched, making sure to uncurl his tail to get the pin and needles out from the busy limb. "I'm going to wash up and get dressed." He called out.

"Food will be ready when you're done." She shouted back.

With that said, Waffle stripped down and jumped in the shower for a quick shower. The steaming hot water felt good over his tired muscles as he quickly worked some shampoo (which was specially formulated for his specific kind of caninu fur) throughout his off-white coat. Hot water was still a relatively valuable resource in parts of Prairie so liberal use of such a commodity could result in a rather hefty bill at the end of the month. Even with the improved cash flow, his new position allotted him Waffle still found himself on a rather tight budget and wasting hot water and more importantly money, was something his Grandfather had instilled in him always to avoid.

With his deed done, Waffle turned off the shower before shaking himself furiously. Most home showers were purposely built with more room than was necessary to let occupants shakedown after a shower allowing them to cut down on the amount of time and effort needed to fully dry off. Grabbing a towel to finish the job, he made his way in front of the mirror and made sure do a thorough job grooming himself and brushing his hair. Being apart of the face of law and order for the community, he felt it was important to keep up a clean and dignified look even when he was off the clock.

He threw on a light blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. A pair sandals completed a look that Alicia had claimed was currently "in". Unlike the many-layered styles of neighboring countries, the residents of Prairie preferred a more simple and streamlined look. Now bright eyed and bushy tailed, he made his way out to the kitchen to join his girlfriend and smiled seeing that just as she promised, Alicia had a freshly brewed cup of coffee already ready for him. His whiskers twitched as his keen sense of smell detected the sweet and spicy smell of breakfast.

With mug in hand, he took a seat at his small dining table and took a sip of the piping hot drink, enjoying its warm bitter taste before turning his attention towards the small radio that was on the table. Although black and white televisions were now becoming more of a household accessory across Porto, Waffle still only owned a simple turn dial radio. It wasn't the most cutting edge of home appliances but it got the job done and it took him a few moments to get the right signal before the morning newscast came through:

 _Good morning ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! This is Hyde coming at you live from on top of the lovely Iron Giant memorial. This beautiful Saturday morning looks to be a pitch-perfect day for the kick off of the annual Porto community fair. Last week's storms look to have finally cleared up so you can look forward to cool temperatures throughout the day and sunny clear blue skies. For a full rundown of the fair event, schedule keeps your hands off that dial while our friends from The Sheppard Republic share this important public service announcement..._

"How's the coffee?" Alicia asked poking at the eggs in the cast iron skillet before her. Thin wisps of steam rose from the sizzling gius sausage links that were cooking in another pan beside her.

"The best." Waffle murmured happily taking another sip. Despite often making some for himself, Alicia, like most felineiko seemed to have an innate knack for making the perfect cup of coffee. Since the Prairie's caninu population outnumbered their felineiko counterparts nearly twenty-five to one, it was a rare treat to taste a batch made by felineiko hands. With his tail swishing behind him, Waffle was more than happy to savor every drop.

" _Greeting citizen's of Porto, Mamoru here!"_ The broadcast continued with the perky voice of the young boy. _"I'm here to remind everyone that it's important to keep an eye out and report any damaged railings you might come across. The high winds and heavy rainfall over the last few weeks have damaged several barriers throughout the city so be extra careful not to fall off! One wrong step and you can find yourself taking one nasty fall into the Could Sea! That's all, thanks for listening and stay safe!_

"Since when did they leave public safety in the hands of kids? He sounds like he can't be older than ten." Alicia said, bringing a full plate of food for Waffle and herself before sitting down to join him as Waffle turned off the radio.

"Actually." Waffle said taking a quick a bite of eggs. "If I recall correctly Mamoru just turned twelve. He's actually been working with his dad as a rescue worker for a few years now."

"You know him?"

"Yeah," Waffle nodded. "I worked with his dad and him to evacuate a group of people from a burning airship a while back. If it wasn't for his quick thinking, a lot of people could have been seriously injured or even worse." He smiled remembering the kids impressive level-headiness in the face of such a dangerous situation. "He knows how to use his head and has a good heart, much like his father."

"Is that so!?" Alicia sounded genuinely impressed from the opposite end of the small dining room table. "It's crazy to think that his parents would allow him to do something so risky at such a young age."

"Well, I kind of got the feeling when talking with him that his mom wasn't too thrilled when his dad took him along on some of the more dangerous jobs."

"Sounds like a great kid. Looks like you approve of my cooking?" She asked noticing that Waffle had quickly cleaned his plate.

"Everything was excellent." Waffle smiled. "I just might have to ask you to do this again."

"You can think Stare for that. She was the one who taught me how to cook."

"I'll have to remember to do that next time I see her."

" Mind cleaning up while I get ready?" Alicia asked finishing off her own plate before turning to head into their bedroom.

"Of course not." Waffle nodded. He quickly gathered up the dishes and cleaned up the dining room before he grabbed a copy of the Prairie Insider and sat down to read what was going on around the country. He was in the middle of the battle robot tournament section when he heard a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it." Waffle called over his shoulder putting down the morning paper. He opened the door to find that no one was in his field of vision. It was only after realizing that he had to look down to greet the person at the door, did he know who it was.

"Hello, Panta." He cast his gaze downwards to meet the eyes of his good friend since his academy days. Seeing that the tiny hound was in full uniform, he was certain now that it was headquarters that had been trying to contact him earlier.

"Constable Waffle!" Panta greeted him with a salute and friendly smile. "I've been trying to get in touch with you all morning."

"I figured as much." Waffle sighed knowing what Alicia was going to say when she realized who was at the door.

"Really? You might want to check out your phone. The line went dead after I tried calling you a few times."

"Yeah... well." Waffle's eyes narrowed. "Alicia kind of hoped that the chief wouldn't be needing me today."

"Oh. I'm not here because of..."

"Seriously!?" Alicia poked her around Waffle's shoulder clad in the new skirt she had picked out for herself. He would have loved to compliment her on how pretty she looked but she seemed intent to give the much smaller officer an earful.

"You couldn't take the hint that he's not going to come in today!? If you think you're going to barge in and take my day with my boyfriend away from me your crazy!"

"Ah, I'm sorry!" The poor caninu took a step back upon seeing the fire in Alicia's eyes. "I was trying to tell Waffle that I'm not here because of work." Panta paused for a brief moment before he let a tiny smirk cross his muzzle. "Ah, I see you've still 'got it' with the ladies dont'ca Waffle?"

"Right..." Waffle's ears splayed in embarrassment.

"That's none of your business!" Alicia held up a fist. "Can you get tell us why you're here so we can get on with our day?"

"Yes, of course!" Panta cleared his throat. "Waffle's presence has been requested aboard the Golden Roar as soon as possible."

"Golden Roar?" Waffle tried to remember where he had heard that name from before.

"Isn't that the Kurvaz's capital ship?" Alicia asked. "What do they want with Waffle?"

"I don't know," Panta admitted and shrugged. "Some girl named Chocolat just said it was super important that she get in contact with you."

"Red Savarin's com officer?" Waffle asked.

"Yeah, I think she said she was apart of his crew. Since she didn't know how to reach you personally, she called headquarters early this morning asking if she could speak with you. The Chief said you were out of the office for a few days and took a message. Since she implied it was rather urgent, I thought it was best you should know as soon as possible."

"That's weird. What's her and Red doing hanging out with the Kurvaz?"

"Red? You mean that shaggy looking guy with the big mouth?" Alicia huffed. "I still don't understand why he felt the need to stick his nose in my business."

"To be fair, you _did_ make it seem like you were taken hostage by sky pirates and he was only trying to help at the request of Flare and Stare." Waffle offered before he turned back to Panda.

"Well if it's that important, I guess I better go see what they need. Did she say mention where I could meet them by chance?"

"Sure did..." Panta said, handing him a small piece of paper with some coordinates scribbled on it.

"Wow, that's kind out of the way" Waffle muttered as he mentally calculated how far out the coordinates were.

"Yeah, I know. I don't think there are any official ports out in the direction come to think of it."

"So... everything going well at the office?"

"Yeah, we're just making sure that security for the fair has all been worked out. It's been a while since we've had a celebrity from the Shepard Republic come to our neck of the woods so we want to make sure no one feels the need to start anything... if you know what I mean."

"Oh, you mean that pop singer..."

"Cocona." Alicia corrected.

"Concna... Sorry." Waffle corrected himself. "Actually, Alicia and I plan on checking out one of her concerts later today."

"For what it's worth I hope the two of you have a great time." Panta stood at attention before giving a farewell salute. "Constable."

"Thanks for the heads up buddy." Waffle saluted his old friend back before he headed inside.

Once she was sure the tiny cop was out of earshot, Alicia spoke up.

"Are you seriously going to put our day on hold just to see what that Red guy and his sister need?"

"I think I better. It sounds like they might be in some kind of bind."

"At the risk of sounding like a terrible person, why is that your problem?" Alicia raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Red's helped me out before without question several times now, so it's only fair that I repay the favor."

"Of course you do." Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, before you know it we'll be back in Porto before you know it and spending the day together like we had originally planned... I promise."

"Alright, lead the way. I guess that's what I get for dating someone with a heart of gold." Waffle heard Alicia say behind him as she followed him out to his personal airship.

* * *

 _Now that's one impressive airship._ Waffle thought as the massive frame of the Golden Roar came into view. He had seen the airship on T.V. in the briefing room at headquarters before but seeing it in person was something else entirely.

Rivaling even the Black Cat's floating fortress in size, the Golden Roar's Nippon inspired arches were a sight to behold as they towered over the ships sleek hull. Nestled in between the traditional sky-scrapping architecture were several very large and very nasty looking cannons that could fire rounds that were probably half the size of his small airship, reminding the cop that the Kurvaz was not the type to take lightly.

Being one of the largest Hunter's Guilds with a history of achieving their goals through less than ethical means made them quite infamous internationally so everyone on the force was still trained to keep an eye out for any suspicious activities that could be traced back to them. If Lady Opera hadn't succeeded Burno as the guild leader and declared that the Kurvaz would employ a much more cordial way of doing business, he wouldn't have dared set foot on board anything bearing their insignia.

"How are you holding up back there?" Waffle shouted over the loud roar of air to Alicia from the cockpit of his police-robo. Even though he was still in his off-duty attire and had promised her that he truly was taking the day off, he figured it wouldn't hurt to bring it... just in case.

"I'm fine." Alicia quickly muttered.

 _Which of course means she's not._ Waffle thought, trying to keep his ears from lowering. _At least she doesn't bring up the princess anymore._

"Look, no matter what they need, I'll make sure that we'll be headed back in time to catch the concert." It had taken them a little over an hour to get to out here, most of which Alicia had kept to herself, no doubt still upset that they weren't on the pier like they had planned.

"I sure hope so." She sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm being a bit of a sourpuss. I was just really looking forward to having a day to spend with you."

"I know, if push comes to shove I'll just extend my time off, fair enough?" He looked over his shoulder and flashed her a quick, reassuring smile. "Fair

enough?"

"I suppose." Her features softened a little. "Hey isn't that Red over there?" Alicia pointed to a caninu that was unmistakably him standing beside to a smaller felinkio dressed in gray near the edge of one of the airship docks. "I wonder who that is next to him?"

"I'm not sure, good eye though." No sooner he had finished, did the small radio inside of police- robo crackled to life with the sultry voice of Lady Opera. _Hey darlings, we were starting to think that you weren't going to make it. I'm sorry I can't be there to greet you in person, but I've got some urgent guild matters that need my attention. If you'll be so kind and land at the dock near Red and Elh, it would be most appreciated._

"Roger that." Waffle said in his most formal tone. "We'll touch down in a moment." He carefully maneuvered his airship besides the dock before hopping out and anchoring it to a post. He offered Alicia a hand to help her step down beside him.

"Salut! It's been a while!" Red approached them with his ever-present sharp-toothed grin. He removed the Gius bone from his mouth (come to think of it, he had never actually seen him without one) before extending a hand to Waffle who took it in a firm handshake. Red scratched the scar on the side of his muzzle.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your day off."

"It's alright." Waffle smiled. "I owe you several times over as it is, it's the least I can do." Waffle stepped aside, letting Alicia greet their new companions. "You've met my girlfriend, Alicia before."

"I have." Red grinned wide. "I see that you've rubbed off on her."

"And how would you know?" Alicia asked raising an eyebrow.

"Easy!" Red smiled turning to Alicia. "I've seen your name come up on a couple of Hunter registries. It seems that you've made a bit of a name for yourself."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The felineko behind Red muttered, her tail flicked in annoyance.

"Oh right..." Red scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he lowered his ears in embarrassment. "I forgot you haven't met my friend yet. This is Elh, she's now apart of our crew and is a good friend to both me and Chocolat."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." The young lady said with a small smile and nod. Her tone was level and no-nonsense. Both of them took her offered hand. "I apologize for getting straight to the point but If you'll both please, follow us, we have much to discuss."

Both Waffle and Alicia gave a silent nod prompting Red and Elh to turn tail and head towards the innards of the Golden Roar prompting Waffle and Alicia to fall into step behind them.

"What's this about?" Waffle asked taking in the awe-inspiring design of the Kurvaz's capital ship.

"A possible threat that to Prarie has been detected and we believe it could involve the royal family," Elh answered.

"We want to warn the appropriate parties and discusses countermeasures without causing panic." Waffle couldn't help but notice the way she strung words together almost sounded like his grandfather. Odd for someone who appeared no older than himself.

What exactly are we up against?" Waffle asked as they followed the hunter into a large elevator

before Elh pushed a button on the elevators console.

"Here's the thing." Red continued.

"We're not all that great at explaining all of the tactical mumbo-jumbo. As it just so happens we've got a friend who can fill you in all of the details way better than either of us could."

"Fair enough." Waffle said.

A chime sounded overhead after a short ride down signaling the four of them had arrived at their desired floor. The metal double doors slid away with a loud groan, revealing a large gray tinted room with a lot strange looking equipment that Waffle couldn't begin to place. He whistled in amazement, everything in the room looked state of the art; even the massive monitor on the far wall displayed images in actual full color.

As soon as they all had stepped into the large room a deep voice scoffed:

"You're telling me that _this_ is the guy who single-handily took out that rust bucket of a Titano- Machina?" Waffle turned in the direction of the voice to see a felineiko dressed in dark purple leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. His slit pupils and an intimidating x-shaped scar that ran across the middle of his face made it clear that he was one not to be messed with.

"I'm sorry but a what?" Waffle tried his best to ignore his less than flattering tone.

"Apologies for Béluga, he just finds it's hard to believe that an ordinary cop like yourself was capable of doing something so exceptional."

A caninu with long blonde hair dressed in white approached Waffle and extended her hand, he was taken aback for a moment realizing she was a full head taller than he was.

"It's an honor to meet you Mr. Ryebread, I'm Dr. Merveille Million; welcome to my laboratory."

"Uh... same here." He accepted her offered hand. "Just plain old Waffle is fine."

This place is amazing, I haven't seen anything like it before!"

"Thanks!" Merveille giggled.

"What did Waffle to make you so interested in him hmm?" Alicia made no attempt to hide the jealousy her voice.

"He disabled a Titano-Machina, the one you called the Iron Giant to be exact. Even though it was a weaker prototype model, it still held an impressive level of destructive power, and Waffle here managed to defeat it by himself. Not an easy task by any means I can assure you."

"You know about that?" Waffle asked.

"Yes well," Merveille cleared her throat. "To be honest, I've had my eye on Prairie and your grandfather's research for some time. When that weapon dealer succeeded in waking the beast, I went to Burno to suggest we mobilize some of our forces to handle the situation, only to catch word a few days later that you had dealt with the threat already."

"I see..." Waffle couldn't help but feel uneasy about how much she apparently knew.

To help avoid panic, Cyan convinced the king that it would be wisest that the fewer the people that knew about the Iron Giant's activation the better. The story that the press ran about the incident claimed that it was a series of earthquakes that had shaken the Iron Giants remains from their resting places, causing them to plummet into Cloud Sea below. Seeing that just a handful of people in Prairie knew the truth, it was surprising to hear that someone from outside of the country knew what Fool had set in motion that day.

"The inside of that thing was weird and super creepy," Alicia said practically shuddering at the memory. "It was like we were in another world."

"We know that all too well," Red spoke up. "Most of us here have had to go in and wreck one ourselves."

Waffle's ears stood on end as his eyes went wide."Wait... there's more of them!?"

"Yes, although they've been dealt with... for now," Béluga offered.

Waffle looked down, deep in thought. "I take it you called me here because I've dealt with one of these so-called 'Titano-Machina' before right? So whatever is going on it has something to do with them?"

"Correct." Merveille nodded. "Some of what I'm about to say might sound like it comes straight out of a Super Nyatta manga, but I can assure that all of it is the truth... understood?"

Waffle glanced worriedly at Alicia. "We do."

"You remember the crystal mine fire that broke out in Pharoah early last year?" Merveille said bringing up images of the crumbling and burning city that was a common sight on that ill-fated day.

"Yeah, I was there after it happened." Waffle said solemnly. "Several of us from headquarters volunteered to help out with the relief effort for those effected by the disaster. When we got there the destruction and loss of life were terrible."

"I remember that too." Alicia nodded looking down in sadness. It was one of the worst accidents to happen in recent history.

"What if I told you that the mine was never unstable to begin with, and was just a cover story that local law enforcement came up with. In truth, the destruction that swept through the city was no accident. Pharoah was attacked..." Merveille took a quick glance back at them before she switched the image on the screen and continued, "by these two." The "people" that came up on screen made Alicia gasp and Waffle do a double take.

While they seemed to share the same basic body structure as any caninu or felineko, that's where the similarities ended. Their faces were nearly flat, with a tiny nose and small round ears that rested on the sides of their heads. Besides hair, their pale skinned faces were devoid of fur and from what he could see, a tail looked to be completely absent. Their style of dress was also strange, each of them wore a single piece body suit which were adorned with bright tattoo like markings that covered everything but their heads.

"They're hideous!" Alicia blurred out. "What's wrong with their faces!?"

While Waffle wouldn't have necessarily used that word, they centrally looked bizarre.

"Nothing," Merveille said, sounding like she was giving a lecture. "Nero and Blanc here look like what any typical caninu hybrid look like when they are in their trance state."

"Where did they come from?" Waffled asked in disbelief. "

"They're living weapons that were created in a lab very much like this one," Elh said taking the floor.

"When they are in Trance, their abilities far surpass even the most gifted of mages, which is why they were able to cause so much destruction in such a short span of time. They were specifically made to awaken and control Titano-Machina that, I'm sorry to say, are several times more powerful than the one Waffle defeated."

"This... this all sounds pretty serious." Waffle said, crossing his arms, a grave look on his face.

"We only wish it wasn't." Red offered, his normally chipper tone absent.

"Since our encounter with those two, we've kept a keen eye out for any more like them." Merveille adjusted her glasses before she continued.

"While we believed that they were the last of their kind, a few days ago my seniors picked up two nono signatures that unmistakably belonged to two _more_ hybrids. We were able to track them to Resca before they went into hiding. Undoubtedly, they are planning something, but as to what, I'm afraid we don't know."

"Is there any way for us to stop them?" Alicia asked.

"Our best bet is to head them off before they find what they are looking for."

"And if we can't find them before they do?" Waffle asked.

"I won't let that happen." Béluga hissed, looking up from his dark corner. "The horrors of the old world have cost us all too much for that to be an option."

"I'm afraid he's right." Elh held a hand to her chest, her ears pinning to her head in sorrow. "If they're able to activate even just one Titano-Machina, they cold very well have the power to destroy the world and we may no longer have the ability to stop them."

"If that's the case, why call upon Waffle and not someone directly connected to the royal family!?" Alicia demanded, pointing at the screen. "He's just a cop you know, what can he hope to do in the face of something like them!?"

"That would be my fault," Red raised a gloved hand. "I was the one who suggested we call Waffle first. Having worked with him in the past, he's just the inside man we need right now. He's able to remain calm, cool and collected even when the stakes are high. I know none of us have the right to dump something like this on you guys, but we're honestly in need of all the help we can get right now."

"While I appreciate your faith in me, I have to agree with Alicia. Cyan and the palace guard are far more qualified than I when it comes to knowing the in's and out of Prairie's security."

"Please... Cyan?" Red scoffed. "I'd bet my tail that ego of his would make him charge head first into danger and get himself killed."

Waffle just shrugged and nodded in response knowing that Red was right. If there was one thing the captain of the guard was good at, it was making brash decisions, even if he did have the princess and the kings safety at heart.

 _Horrors of the old world..._ Waffle thought, taking a few moments to digest everything before he asked: "Since those hybrids can control the Titano-Machina, are they connected to the ancient civilization that Grandpa Russel always talks about?"

"Yes, you're very perceptive. I can tell you're the grandson of an archaeologist." Merveille giggled before continuing. "Your Grandfather's theories are quite impressive given the limited amount of information that he's dug up."

"I just don't get it," Alicia asked. "Why would want to destroy everything?"

"That... I'm afraid, is a bit more complicated and requires divulging information which may not be easy for you two to hear." She looked Waffle and Alicia dead in the eye from behind the frame of her glasses. "Do you think you're ready to hear one of histories deepest, darkest secret?"

Having witnessed the terrifying power of the Iron Giant, it was clear to him that whatever was happening here, it was far bigger than anything he had experienced before. When he graduated from the academy, he had sworn an oath to protect the people and the royal family of Prairie and knew his answer. Waffle exchanged an affirmative glance with his girlfriend and with her hand in his own, he looked the scientist straight in the eye:

"No matter what it is, we'll do our best to help... tell us everything."


End file.
